Build online contest to gain more Facebook fans & twitter followers

Image by Intersection Consulting via Flickr

Every business seeks to promote its products / services online. To improve the efficiency of their website and the resultant sales, these businesses approach SEO Company to get search engine optimization done for their website.

However in today’s competitive environment, only SEO is not enough. Today you need to reach out to your customers, in their offices, homes and sometimes right in their bedrooms!!! Yes. It’s no more about just selling, today you need to build a connect, a relation with your customer. Social media optimization offers the best platform for this.

Strategizing is the keyword. Every business needs a Social Media Strategy, which will aim to maximize its reach. You need to go out and interact with the customer, and socializing is the best way to build better relations. With internet, you can socialize right from the convenience of your office, social media platforms are the best place to interact and engage your customer.

Websites are a passive medium, they offer all details about your product/service and the customer can browse through it, but social media is alive and kicking, and everybody loves a healthy discussion. Social media is fun and interactive, and you nee to make sure your strategies are best designed to harness the power of this media.

One of my personal favourite strategy using Social Media is something that will excite and invigorate your customer about your products or services. Its - A Contest!!! You got it right, running a well planned and interesting contest, can work wonders for any business. It can generate enormous buzz and fresh interest amongst your customers about your business.  
 
Enough of all this theory, now let’s talk about the how you should go about designing the perfect contest, to engage and excite your customers

Pre-requisites to Design a Social Media Contest:–

1.      Your target audience: Clearly define your target audience, demographically and geographically; whom you intend to target for this Contest

2.      What is your goal: Every Strategy has a goal, so also with your contest, having a clearly defined goal is very essential; what is the final outcome you  are seeking from this contest in terms of no of fans, sales etc

3.      Cost: Clearly defined budget helps in keeping the expenditure in check. What is the amount you are willing to spend on this contest? Will it be sufficient to attract your audience? So on.

Once these parameters are defined, go about designing the perfect Contest. Now once designed, it’s all about getting the contestant for your contest. Spreading the word far and wide is what will attract your customers and make your contest worth its money. Our suggestion, don’t make your contest Social Media friendly, make it right on the Social Media!! Here’s how:

How to use Social media to Design the Perfect Contest


Facebook is the perfect launch-pad for your Contest, so ready and launch a Facebook campaign - 

• Create & update contest on Facebook, use an attractive title which will intrigue and draw visitors to join your contest.
• Utilize the Facebook updates application and be sure to send all your existing fans the latest about your new Contest; and call them all to join in.
• Run ads on Facebook about the contest.
• Send newsletter to your existing customers about this contest & encourage them to join your contest.
• Encourage the participants of the contest to share the contest details with their friends.
• To keep the contest fresh and interesting, persuade the participants to keep commenting on the wall of your contest page.
• Participants must like your updates on the contest.

Don’t forget the power of Other Media’s like Twitter, Stumblr, Delicious etc…

• Promote your twitter account to your contest participants.
• Get your contestants to follow you on twitter. The more the merrier.
• Encourage them to retweet your messages & comment on the updates.
• Get your contestant to go social and share your contest page via all the mediums like Stumblr, Delicious etc….

Get going, implement all ideas, and see them work their magic for your business. While focussing on the big things do not overlook the smaller details. Create a proper landing page for visitors to join this contest, use good images & attractive language.

All these small points are very important. Keep them in mind.

All the Best!!!